In October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay, 21-year old University of Wyoming college student was savagely beaten and tied to a fence in near-freezing temperatures.
He died five days later.
Matthew was lured out of a bar and attacked by two high-school dropouts, Aaron McKinney, 22 and Russell Henderson, 21.
Henderson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
McKinney went to trial, was found guilty and sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
The killing galvanized gays and lesbians nationwide.
Over 5,000 marched in Manhattan.
Candlelight vigils and campus rallies took place across the country.
Over 450 bills on issues important to gays and lesbians were introduced in legislatures across the country in 1999, prompted in part by the murder of Matthew Shepard.
Spokesmen for the gay community lashed out at right-wing organizations such as the Family Research Council and criticized public figures such as then Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott for saying that homosexuality is a sin and gay people should be helped just like alcoholics or kleptomaniacs.
A New York Times writer said "Once any group is successfully scapegoated as a subhuman threat to "normal" values by a propaganda machine, emboldened thugs take over.
Shepard's father urged Congress to adopt legislation that would extend federal hate-crime protection to gays and lesbians.
The U.S. Senate approved such legislation, but the House did not.
In 2000, "The Laramie Project," a collaboration between a New York-based theater troupe and the people of Laramie, Wyoming, was well received.
